Press Release News

Washington- The Melinda Bautista Teruel 1992 Revocable Trust and Melinda Teruel, owner of an apartment building in Burlingame, California was accused of discriminating against a family with two minor children by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against families having minor children that are below 18 years of age. The discrimination can be denying housing to families with children, making false statements about them, and harassing tenants because they have young children or are pregnant.

Demetria L. McCain, HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary says, “ As HUD prepares to commemorate Fair Housing Month during April 2023, this charge of discrimination is a reminder that the fight for fair housing must continue”. The Department is committed to enforcing the Fair Housing Act as it has a real impact on the lives of families with children, pregnant individuals, and communities.

HUD says that when the couple first rented the one-bedroom apartment, they were pregnant with their first child and also had a second child later on. HUD’s charge of discrimination was that Teruel showed displeasure and asked the couple to rent a larger and more expensive unit as the child would also be living in the unit itself. Not only this, Teruel made repeated efforts and tried to convince the couple despite them saying that it is hard for them to afford larger and more expensive housing.

Moreover, she doubled her efforts when she learned that the couple was also expecting their second child by saying that the children would damage the apartment. Unfortunately, the family had to move out of the apartment as they faced a high risk of eviction and were being harassed continuously.

Thankfully, The Fair Housing Act protects such families from discrimination because they are expecting a child or have young children. Consequently, HUD charges the landlords for discriminating against such families and shows the seriousness of these protections.

HUD’s charge will be heard by the United States Administrative Law Judge unless any party wants the case to be heard in the Federal District Court. If the administrative judge finds out that the family has experienced discrimination, the Judge may award damages to the family for the losses they have incurred. The Judge can also give equitable relief to stop further discrimination as well as payment of attorney fees. Civil penalties can also be imposed to vindicate the public interest. If the case goes to federal court, the Judge can also give damages to the complainants.

If you feel that you have experienced housing discrimination, feel free to reach out to HUD to file a complaint.